


Of a Feather

by beltsquid



Category: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 19:30:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1659851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beltsquid/pseuds/beltsquid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sidequesting comes with downsides--namely tiresome walking.  Fortunately for the party, Rydia knows where to get chocobos to fix that problem.  Kain, however, is not meant for chocobo catching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of a Feather

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taichara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/gifts).



When it came time to scout the way out of the woods, the job naturally fell to Kain; after all, no one else could scale the tallest tree in the forest in a mere couple of bounds. The tree shook under his weight as he leapt through its branches. Though they could snap away at any moment, he didn't give that any thought, trusting that he would be would be well on his way to the next step before his footing got away from him. It was only when he scaled past the canopy that he concerned himself with finding his footing. He gripped the trunk in one hand, steadying himself while he perched his feet on a branch that wobbled in the wind. A precarious position, to be sure, but then Kain Highwind had always found himself much more at home in the sky than he ever did on the ground. He loosened his helm to get a better view of the horizon, only to wince at the sun in his eyes. 

“Such irony,” he grumbled to himself, blinking until his vision adjusted. The landscape was carpeted in trees nearly as far as he could see; however in the far distance he could make out where the woods thinned out into the great plain where their airship was parked. That was the problem, really, with air travel. A ship can take one only so far before one must travel on foot to and from the ship—especially when one of Cecil's detours takes you deep into the woods.

“Hey! Hey, do you see anything? How much further do we have to go?!” Edge called out from far below, his voice somehow managing to reach him. Further irony, Kain thought, that the man could wear a mask over his face and still manage to be so loud. With a grunt, Kain fixed his helmet back on his head and jumped from his position, making his way down the tree much faster than he had come up, and landed at Edge's feet with a deafening thud and clattering of armor.

“Geez! W-watch where you're going,” he said, jumping back. “You almost squashed me!”

Kain tried to hide his smile as he turned to Cecil and reported “We've a day's walk ahead of us.” He lifted his lance from where it had been leaning against the tree and gestured with it. “We go East,” he added.

Cecil nodded. “Very well. I suppose we should get moving, then.”

Edge groaned loudly in protest.

“I know,” said Cecil. “But there's not much to be done about it.”

“Well then, it's a good thing there are chocobos nearby,” said Rydia, an impish smile on her face. She reached into a bush and pulled out a tufted yellow feather for emphasis. “If we catch some, we can be back on the ship in no time!”

“I knew I loved you, Rydia! Let's go get those chocobos!” Edge exclaimed, suddenly much more energetic than he had been the moment before. She ignored him.

“Lead the way then, Rydia,” Rosa said, nodding at Cecil. Cecil, in turn nodded at Rydia.

“I trust you can find them,” he told her.

“Not a problem,” she smiled, and turned northward, away from the path, brushing aside ferns and undergrowth. Kain bit back a protest. Trust Cecil, he told himself. Cecil trusts the girl.

They fell into a line and trailed behind their resident summoner, Kain taking the rear. He still didn't like going off course and wasting precious time, but if Rydia was right, then it would be worth it. She strode through the forest single-mindedly, not pausing to look for tracks or any other sign of the birds. He mused vaguely that this must be another boon of the Summoners' strange powers. She just had a way with creatures that was unlike anything he'd witnessed, even from men who lived out their lives as hunters and trackers. Reason enough to entrust her with finding the chocobos, he told himself, fighting that nagging in the back of his mind that wanted to snap at Cecil and demand everyone be brought in line. 

It was not long before Rydia stopped near where the sunlight slipped through a thinning patch of trees and held up a hand. “They're just through here. Try not to startle them,” she whispered. Everyone nodded, and followed her into a meadow, where sure enough, a herd of chocobos was grazing.

“Hi there,” Rydia said, greeting the birds. A bright yellow one raised its head, let out a cautious 'wark?' and wandered to her. She reached out a hand and scratched its chin, and in short order it was butting its head against hers and warbling happily.

If only all chocobo catching could be so easy.

Kain sighed, leaned against a tree, and watched. He was never any good with tamed and trained chocobos, much less feral ones. The party fanned out into the meadow, each approaching a chocobo and earning its trust. In just under an hour, Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, and even Edge sat astride a bird.

“Do you need any help, Kain?” asked Rydia, patting her mount on the head.

“No. I'll catch up to you all shortly,” he said, and got up from his self-appointed post against the tree. She pursed her lips and gave him a dubious look which he chose to ignore as he scanned the meadow for a likely mount. That's when he saw it—a black chocobo as dark as his soul standing tall on the opposite side of the clearing, cloaked in shadows cast by the trees.

While chocobo catching was a task Kain didn't relish, he was never a man to do things by halves. He would be riding that beast, come hell or high water. He straightened his shoulders, pursed his lips, and strode with purpose toward his quarry. The bird either sensed his intent or simply did not like his attitude, and ruffled its feathers, stretched its wings, and warked a protest as he approached.

“So that's how it is,” Kain said. “Very well, I accept your challenge.” He widened his stance and tensed his legs, preparing for a decisive jump. The plan in his mind was simple: getting astride the animal and asserting his dominance as quickly as possible could be achieved if he aimed a jump to land on the chocobo's back. What else was dragoon training for, if not for a precise jump?

Kain jumped, and so did the chocobo, flapping its wings and flying into the branches of a nearby tree, which shook under its weight. Kain landed in the dirt with a thud, swearing. The chocobo warbled from his perch; if he didn't know any better, he could swear it was laughing at him.

Not to be outdone by a bird, he got to his feet and immediately jumped again, flinging himself into the branches of the trees, which splintered and fell by the wayside. They did little to slow his momentum as he collided with the chocobo and knocked it from its perch. They tumbled to the forest floor together, war cries and warks mingling in an undignified cacophony. 

“Honestly, Kain, you don't need to be so forceful,” said Rosa, approaching behind him. His insides turned a little at her choice of words.

“I was only trying to be efficient,” he protested, all the while doing his best to keep the chocobo pinned down. It wriggled and thrashed beneath him.

“Why don't you try this, hmm?” she asked, offering the bird a vegetable from her pack. “Chocobos love gysahl greens.”

“Bribery, Rosa? I did not think you were the type.”

“It's okay every once in a while,” she laughed, still holding the gysahl green in front of the chocobo's beak. After a few long moments, it stopped thrashing and accepted the treat.

Kain forced a smile at her.

“I … Thank you, Rosa. I hope you have another,” he said, easing his weight from the bird and getting to his feet.

“Don't worry, there's more where that came from.” She said, and offered the chocobo another. It snatched it from her fingers and tossed it back with a single swallow. “Why don't you try, Kain?”

“I don't think—”

“Here!” Rosa said, handing him her leather supply satchel.

Kain grumbled and reached inside, grabbing another green. “I don't think it's a good idea.” Rosa said nothing in return, and fixed an expectant gaze on him that he could not ignore. He presented the green to the chocobo, who snapped it up instantly, biting Kain's fingers in the process. He swore again.

“You boys,” Rosa sighed, calling a Cure spell for Kain's hand.

“I'm costing us time,” Kain said, glancing away.

“It will be made up,” she assured him, and placed a hand on the chocobo. “This chocobo will see us back to the ship in no time.”

“Such confidence,” he replied, flexing his newly-healed fingers.

Rosa nodded. “Proud … stubborn … this chocobo is an awful lot like you, Kain.”

Kain's insides turned again. It was wrong of him to still feel such things for Rosa, but when she said things like this, it was hard not to. He nodded dumbly and gave the chocobo another green. This time his hand went unharmed.

Her work seemingly done, Rosa smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Edge shouting from the other end of the meadow, his own mount having torn the mask off his face.

“I suppose I'm not the only one with problems,” Kain sighed.

“I guess not,” Rosa laughed.

Kain laughed as well, and for one moment at least, nothing troubled him.


End file.
